Coin-controlled liquid-dispensing apparatus



F. DOBSON.

com comaouwuoum DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1919.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. DOBSON com CONTROLLED uoum DISPENSING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ]ULY29|1919- 1,400,3 48, Patented D00. 13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Elvwenkoz W ,3 s2, W/AM v F. DOBSON..

COIN CONTROLLED LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLY29. 1919.

1 ,400,348. 4 Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3' l 2 74 2 7 2 73 JJ 54f p d J," I" Z 1 12 g 1 03 54 2 2 E A M /////Z// g UNITED STATES FREDERICK DOZBSON, OF BELL CENTER, WISCONSIN.

COIN-CONTROLLED LIQUiD-DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK DOBSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bell Center, in.the county of Craw ford and State of Vvisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Liquid-Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide an efficient means for controlling the volumetric dispensing of liquid such as gasolene and the like which is vended by liquid measure subject to variations in market price and which ordinarily involves the service of an attendant for the operation of the pump by means of which the liquid is supplied, and it is therefore the purpose of the present invention to employ mechanism which under the control of coins. of different denominations, and subject to certain definite adjustments of the elements, will permit of the operation of the pump by the consumer under such limitations and restrictions as to provide for only such operation of the pump as will be necessary to dispense a quantity of the liquid which corresponds with the price per unit of measure determined by the dealer in accordance with the market value thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood that changes in form, proportions and de-' tails may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principles involved.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front View of a coin controlled mechanism embodying the invention and showing the means whereby connection is made with an ordinary gasolene dispensing pump, the latter not being shown.

Fig. 2. is a plan View of the same' Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the casing of the mechanism to show the operative parts in plan.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the vertical plane indicated by the line el-4r'of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an inner face View of the retaining ratchet gear as indicated by the darts 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an inner face view of the governor disk as indicated by the darts 66 of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

Serial No. 314,023.

the governor disk as indicated by the darts 7+7 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a detail view-of one blocks.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the plunger of the release mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a view of the trip lever.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 11-11 of Fig. 3. 1g. 12 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 12-12 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the trip setting member.

Figs. 1% and 15 are detail sectional views of the coin chute and related parts, corresponding with the section shown in Fig. 11 vith the parts enlarged and indicating the position of the coin respectively prior to and during the movement of the plunger to indicate the manner in which the yielding wall of the chute is deflected to actuate the clutch lever.

Fig. 16 is a detail View in perspective showing the inner surface of the yielding wall of the chute.

Mounted upon a suitable casing or housing 20 which as hereinafter described contains the coin controlled mechanism, is an operating shaft 21 adapted to be turned by means of a crank or other suitable means by the operator such as the consumer, in the direction indicated by the arrow A to convey motion through a gear 22 keyed thereon to a rack 23 operating in a suitable guide 24 and having a suitable attachment 25 for engagement withthe plunger or piston rod of a of the trip pump (not shown) such as is ordinarily employed for dispensing gasolene or similar liquids sold by measure.

Carried by said operating shaft, within the casing or housing, is a retaining ratchet gear 26 with which cooperates a pawl 27 normally and yieldingly held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet and serving to permit reverse movement of the operating shaft or movement in the opposite direction to the arrow A.

Also mounted'upon said operating shaft, and capable of rotary and axial movement independently thereof is a disk 28 constitut ing a member of a controlling mechanism for determining the extent of operative movement or pump operating movement of the operating shaft, said disk having ratchet teeth 29 and being provided in its inner and outer surfaces with spiral grooves or channels 29 and 30. This controlling disk is yieldingly held in its normal position by means of a spiral spring 31 attached-at one end to the casing or housing and at the other end to the disk and is limited in its reverse movement, or in its movement opposite to that indicated by the arrow B thereon by means of a stop 32 consisting of a lever pivoted at 33 to the casing and having a stud34 operating in the spiral groove 30, so that regardless of the extent of rotary movement of the disk 28 in the direction of the arrow B, during which the stud 34 follows the groove or channel and the return spring 31 is wound or placed under tension, the return or reverse movement of said disk under the influence of thespring 31 will be limited by the contact of said stud '34 with the end of the groove or channel 30.

The initial position of the governor disk is therefore uniform. An adjustable screw 34 is carried by the lever 32 at the opposite end from the follower pin or stud 34 to exert frictional contact with thewall of the casing to restrain or retard the movement of the lever to prevent lost motion or un-.

necessary vibration thereof. The governor disk is provided with a collar 35 also embracing the operating shaft and engaged with a groove 36 thereof is the yoke or forked end 37 of a pawl shifting lever 38 engaged with the pawl 27 and terminally interposed between coiled springs 39 which serve to yieldingly hold the extremities of the pawl in engagement alternately and re spectively with the ratchet-teeth of the re taining disk 26 and the governor disk 28, according to the position of the shifting lever. Said pawl consists of a rod mounted in suitable uides in a bracket 40.

Said collar 35 of the governor disk is also ratchet toothed as shown at 41 to form one member of a clutch of which the other member 42 consists of a sleeve feathered as at 43 upon the operating, shaft and yieldingly held in its normal position by a cushioning spring 44.

Arranged 1n the CtLSll'lg or housing and accessible through a coin slot 45 in the wall the plunger is free to be depressed it is locked at the, limit'of its downwardmovement by the pawl 50 and is so retained untilthe pawl is disengaged to permit of the return of the plunger by means of the spring 49. v i

The plunger is reduced at its lower end as shown at 53 so as to move between the coin which has beeninserted into the chute and the rear or fixed wall 46 of the same so as t2 impart lateral or sidewi'se movement to the coin to correspondingly move the yielding wall 54 of the chute which constitutes a diaphragm and is connected by a stem 55 with one end of a lever 56 having a yoke or bifurcated extremity 57 in engagement with the groove 36of the collar 35 so that the lateral movement of the diaphragm due to the side pressure of a coin actuated by the reduced lower end of the plunger serves to cause such movement of the collar 35 and governor disk 28 as to engage the clutch members 41 and 42 and thus permit of the communication of rotary' movement from the operating shaft through said clutch members to the governor disk, said shaft being released for such movement, dueto the movement ofthe collar 35 by the disengagement of the pawl 27 from the ratchet 26 incident to the. movement of the shifting lever 38. The stem 55 is adjustably related with the lever 56 by means of nuts 58 or the equivalents thereof so as to provide for adjustment of thediaphragm relative to the coin passage of the chute to insurefthe proper movement of the parts to efiect the objects indicated,v and the diaphragm and lever 56, and governor disk are yieldingly held in their normal positions indicated in Fig. 3 by means, for example,cof a coiled spring 59 connected with the lever.

The plunger is also provided with a shoulder 60 adapted to bear on the edge of a coin which has been placed in the chute so as to depress the coin as the plunger is moved in opposition to the return spring 49, and disposed, in the path of movementthus produced of the coin is an arm 61 of a setting mechanism consisting of a rocker having a shaft 62 and a head 63 cotiperating with a cam 64 forming a part of a trip lever 65. This trip lever is fulcrumedat 66 for pivotal movement in two directions at substantially right angles to each other upon a rod 67 and is provided at its'free end opposite to the cam 64 with a trip pin; 68 adapted for arrangement close to the plane" of the governor disk'and in the path of a beveled trip block 69 mounted inthe spiral'groove or channel 29' of saiddisk. Coins of different diameters inserted into the chute and ad-.

vanced'by the plunger obviously will cause different degrees of movement of the rocker, and hence by the action of the head 63' upon the cam 64 of thetrip lever, position the trip pin 68 over different portions or runs of the spiral groove .or channel29, and hence by having trip blocks 69 located in different portions of the groove or channel said trip pin may by the means indicated be disposed in the p'athof one or the other of said blocks according'to the denomination of the coin introduced intoithe chuteto cause a trip action of the lever 65 after the rotary movement of the governor disk through different distances as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

lVhereas the tilting movement of the trip lever due to the action of a coin advanced by the plunger 47 and due to the operation upon said trip lever of the rocker, is in a plane substantially parallel with the governor disk so as to locate the trip pin over different portions of the spiral groove 29 or in the paths of different trip blocks 69, said trip lever as hereinbefore explained is also capable of tilting movement in a plane perpendicular to the governor disk, and this movement which is caused by the contact of a trip block with the trip pin is utilized to cause the release of the coin through the agency of which the parts have been previously set or adjusted, by employing a releasing rocker 70 having a shaft or spindle 71, a loop or arm 72 arranged in the path of said trip lever, and an arm 7 3 connected by a stem 74 with a cam 75 disposed when the release rocker is actuated to withdraw the pawl 50 out of engagement with the teeth of the rack 52 on the coin plunger. The tendency of a coin to follow the plunger in its upward movement due to the action of the spring 49 when released by the disengagement of the pawl 50 is prevented by a retainer 76 consisting of a wire located adjacent to the plane of the plunger and capable of yielding as a coin is advanced downwardly or forwardly of the chute, regardless of the diameter of the coin, but serving to prevent upward movement thereof so that when the lower extremity of the plunger has been withdrawn from contact with the coin the latter will drop into the casing or housing, and not be again used as a means in connection with the plunger of actuating the mechanism. To accentuate the lateral movement of the yielding wall or diaphragm 54 of the coin chute or the transverse expansion of the coin chute to effect the required movement of the clutch operating lever 56 in opposition to the tension of the spring 59, the inner end of the bolt 55 may be headed and beveled to form a wedge shaped cam 55 as indicated clearly in Fig. 16 for engagement by the coin indicated at C in Figs. 14 and 15.

In addition to the foregoing it will be understood that any suitable coin detecting means may be employed to prevent the surreptitious use of disks of metal or other materials than those used for currency.

Under normal conditions it will be understood from the foregoing description that the operating shaft is locked against movement by the engagement of the pawl 27 with the retaining disk 26, and when a coin has been introduced into the chute and the plunger has been depressed the actuation of the diaphragm 54 serves to engage the clutch members and at the same time release the retaining disk by the movement of the pawl 27 out of engagement with the retaining disk and into engagement with the governor disk where it is yieldingly held without preventing forward movement of the latter, or movement in the direction of the arrow B while preventing movement in the opposite direction. The operation of the inserted coin due to the movement of the plunger also affects the trip setting rocker and through it causing a movement of the trip lever proportionate to the value or di mension of the coin so as to dispose the terminal trip pin thereof in operative relation with one of the trip blocks on the governor disk. These trip blocks are arranged in such a relation to the circumference of the disk or the rotary path of movement thereof as to come in contact with the trip pin when the governor disk has moved through an arc suflicient to cause a movement of the pump necessary to dispense an amount of liquid proportionate to the value of the coin which is being used, and not only are these trip blocks adapted for arrangement in different grooves or portions of the spiral groove so as to actuate the trip lever at di ferent points in the path of movement of the'disk relative to the value of the coin employed, but also with relation to the market value of the liquid to be dispensed as the same may vary from time to time. For example, if gasolene is selling for twentyfive cents a gallon one of the trip blocks may be arranged to operate when the governor disk has made a quarter of a revolution and another trip block may be arranged to cause operation of the trip lever when the disk has made a half a revolution, so that the trip pin may be arranged in the path of either of said blocks according to whether a twenty-five cent or a fifty cent coin has been inserted in the chute, but if the cost of the gasolene or other liquid should increase or diminish, the blocks can be advanced or moved backward in their grooves or channels so as to operate sooner or later and thus cause the actuation of the trip lever when either a less or a greater amount of the liquid has been dispensed. Vhen the stop block for which the mechanism has been set by the coin in the chute engages the trip lever it causes the latter to operate through the release rocker to disengage the pawl 50 and'thus release the coin plunger which in turn releases the coin, the governor disk meanwhile being held from return movement, or movement in opposition to the arrow B, by the pawl 27 which is in engagement with the teeth 29, and as the coin drops out of the chute and thus releases the diaphragm 54 the spring 59 operating through the lever 56 disconnects the members of the 7 initial position.

. quired amount of the liquid.

clutch 41 and 42, and thereupon the spring 31 which has been wound or tensioned by the pump actuating movement of the operating shaft will return the governor disk to its normal position checked at the proper point by the stop 32.

It will be understood that in the event of the failure of a trip block or element carried by the governor member to actuate the trip lever or member after a complete operative stroke of the pump plunger, and hence the failure of the mechanism to release the coin, the pawl 27 remaining in engagement with the ratchet teeth of the governor disk, the operating shaft may be turned back or reversed so as to again lower or return the pump plunger to its initial position, the ratchet teeth of the clutch members 41 and 42 slipping over each other under the yielding control of the spring M, so that a further forward or operative stroke of the pump plunger may be made to dispense the rehe governor disk being held from retrograde movement, its return spring 31 will remain under the tension given on the first stroke and will be further tensioned by the second or succeeding stroke or strokes,-so that when the trip mechanism does operate at the limit of the movement of the governor 'disk'which is determined by the dimension of the coin in the chute, said disk will What is claimed is: I

1. A coin controlled vending mechanism for determining the throw of a liquid dispensing pump, having a governor member movable with and proportionately to the throw of thepump and provided withtrip elements, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward movement, a coinreleasing trip member actuable by said trip elements, and a coin actuated setting device for disposing said trip member in the path of one of said trip elements.

2. A coin controlled vending mechanism of theclass described, having a rotary governor member provided with trip elements arranged at different distances from' the axis thereof, a coin advancing plunger hav ing a limited forward movement, a coin re- I leasing trip member actuable by one of said trip elements, and a'coin actuated setting. device forv disposing said trip member in the path of one of the trip elements 8. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described, having. a movable governor member, trip elementscarried by said member for traversing different paths and adjustable in the direction of their paths of movement, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward movement, a coin releasing trip member actuated by said trip elements, and a coin actuated setting device be returned to its.

for disposing said trip member in the path of one of said trip elements.

4. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having a rotary governor member provided with a spiral channel, trip elements adjustably disposed in said channel and movable longitudinally thereof, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward movement, a coin releasing trip member actuated by said trip elements, and a coin actuated setting device for disposing the trip member in the path of one of said trip elements.

, 5. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having a movable gov ernor member 'PIOVlClGClWllZh trlp elements,

a coin advancing plunger havinga limited forward movement, a coin releasing trip member actuable by said trip'elements, and a coin actuated setting device fordisposing the trip member in the path of one of said trip. elements, said setting device having an element disposed in the path of and movable by a coin advanced by said plunger.

6. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having an operating shaft, a spring returned governor member movable by the shaft, alternately operative ratchet retaining devices for respectively preventing forward rotation of the shaft and return rotation of the governor member, a clutch for connecting the governor member with the operating shaft, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward move ment, shift-ing means actuable by a coin advanced by the plunger for engaging said clutch and reversingthe positions of said ratchet retaining devices, a coin releasing trip member actuable by the governor mem' her, and a coin actuated setting device for disposing the trip member in operative re-' 'lation *ith the governor member.

7. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having an operating shaft, retaining and governor disks respectively fast and looseupon said shaft, a

ratchet mechanism consisting of ratchetby said governor disk, coin actuated shifting means for closing saidclutch and reversing the ratchet pawl, and a coin actuated setting device for disposing the trip member in operative relation with the governor disk.

8. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having an operating shaft, retaining and governor disks respec tively fast and loose upon the shaft, the

governor disk having areturn spring and a spiral groove, a stop for the governor disk having a pin for following said groove, a ratchet mechanism having ratchet teeth on said retaining and governor disks and a reversible pawl for engagement with the teeth of either of the disks, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward movement, a clutch for connecting the governor disk with said shaft, a coin actuated shifting mechanism for closing said clutch and reversing the position of said pawl, a coin releasing trip member actuable by said governor disk, and a coin actuated setting device for disposing the trip member in operative relation with the governor disk.

9. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having an operating shaft, a governor disk loosely mounted upon the shaft, ratchet mechanism for alternately locking the shaft and the governor 'disk against retrograde movement, a clutch for connecting said governor disk to the shaft, shifting mechanism for closing said clutch and shifting the ratchet mechanism, a coin releasing trip member actuable by the governor disk, acoin advancing plunger and a diaphragm actuable by the thickness of the coin for communicating motion to the shifting mechanism, said shifting mechanism being yieldingly held in its normal position.

10. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having a movable governor member, a retaining device, a reversi ble ratchet mechanism for alternate engagement with said retaining device and governor member, a clutch for communicating motion from the retaining device to the governor member, the movable member of the clutch being yieldingly held in its disengaged position, a shifting mechanism for closing the clutch and reversing the ratchet mechanism, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward movement, a diaphragm movable by the thickness of a coin for actuating the shifting mechanism, a coin releasing trip member actuable by said governor member, and a coin actuated setting device for the trip member having a rocker provided with an arm arranged in the path of coins advanced by said plunger and movable proportionately to the diameter of the coin.

11. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having a governor disk provided with trip elements, a coin advancing plunger having a limited forward movement, a ratchet mechanism for locking the plunger in its advanced position, a trip member actuableby said trip elements,a coin actuated setting device for disposing said trip member in the path of one of said elements, and 'eoin releasing devices having a rocker provided with a member disposed in the path of movement of said trip member and a cam actuable by the rocker for disengaging the plunger locking ratchet mechanism.

12. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having an operating member capable of forward and return movements, a governor member movable with the operating member and having a return spring for restoring it to its initial position, alternately operative ratchet mechanisms for preventing forward movement of the operating member and return movement of the governor member while permitting forward movement of the governor member, the operating member being normally locked against forward movement by its ratchet mechanism, a normally open ratchet clutch for communicating forward motion, when closed, from the operating member to the governor member, while permitting independent return movement of the former, a coin actuated means for closing said clutch and reversing the positions of the ratchet mechanisms which control said operating and governor members, and a coin releasing trip actuable by the governor member.

13. A coin controlled vending mechanism of the class described having an operating member capable of forward and return movements, a governor member movable with the operating member and having a return spring for restoring it to its initial position, alternately operative ratchet mechanisms for preventing forward and return movements respectively of said operating member and governor member and normally operative with relation to the operating member, a normally open clutch for communicating motion, when closed, from the operating member to the governor member, a coin actuated means for closing said clutch and reversing the positions of said ratchet mechanisms and a coin releasing trip actuable by the governor member.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

FREDERICK DOBSON. 

